The annual
convocation of the Nadvat-ul-Uloom was being held in a packed hall at Lucknow
in 1907. The conferring of degress in this well-known institution of religious
education was to be followed by Dastar Bandi (Investiture of academic gowns
and turbans) ceremony, which was being presided over by Khawaja Ghulam-us-Saqlain,
a renowned scholar and son-in-law of Maulana Altaf Husain Hali and was
attended by Mohsin-ul-Mulk and other intellectual luminaries of the time.

Meanwhile,
someone got up from amongst the audience and addressing Maulana Shibli
Nomani, questioned the scholarship of the students who had graduated from
the institution and their proficiency in modern Arabic. The Maulana, being
a celebrated historian, accustomed to confront his adversaries with incontrovertible
facts, asked a young graduate to deliver a speech on any given topic. The
student got up and delivered a masterly speech in Arabic on certain aspects
of modern philosophy. His command over the lanuguage, the sublimity of
his ideas and his excellent delivery, astounded the president and all those
present there. The speaker was the young Sulaiman, who was destined to
become one of the greatest historians and the greatest biographers of the
Prophet of Islam during his times.

Syed Sulaiman
was born in 1885 in a well-known Syed family of Desna, a village in the
district of Patna (Bihar, India). His father, Hakim Syed Abul Hasan, known for
his learning and piety was highly respected in the locality.

The young Sulaiman received his early education from his elder brother. Then he joined
the Arabic Madrassa at Phulwari Sharif and later he enrolled himself in
the Madrassa-i-Imdadia, Darbhanga.

In 1901, he
joined the Dar-ul-Uloom of Nadva, Lucknow, which was recognized as the
foremost institution of religious and Arabic education in the sub-continent.
Here, he completed his seven years' Arabic course and came in contact with
such eminent scholars as Maulana Farooq Chiriyyakoti, Syed Muhammad Ali
of Monghyr, Maulana Hafizullah and Allama Shibli Nomani who were much impressed
by his talent, intelligence and diligence.

In 1904, when Allama Shibli Nomani joined the staff of Nadva, Syed Sulaiman
came under his tutorship, a relationship which turned into a lifelong
companionship between the two great scholars of modern India.

In 1906, he
joined the staff of "An-Nadva", a magazine brought out by the Dar-ul-Uloom.
In 1908, he was appointed a lecturer in the Dar-ul-Uloom, and for two years
worked as an assistant to Allama Shibli Nomani, who was engaged in the
preparation of his well-known work, Seerat-un-Nabi (Life of the Holy Prophet),
the major part of which, in fact, was completed in six volumes by Syed
Sulaiman himself after the death of his illustrious teacher.

The international
political situation was becoming extremely explosive at this time. The
European powers were conspiring for dividing the Turkish Empire and wanted
to finish this "Sickman of Europe". In 1911, when Italy launched an unprovoked
attack on Tripoli, a port of the Turkish Empire, young Sulaiman gave up
his literary and educational pursuits and joined "Al-Hilal", Calcutta,
edited by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, another pupil of Shibli Nomani. Together
with Azad, Syed Sulaiman made "Al-Hilal" a powerful organ of young Muslims
which ultimately played a dominant role in the awakening of Muslim India.

The association
of Syed Sulaiman with "Al-Hilal" could not last long. In 1912, Allama Shibli
Nomani got him appointed as assistant professor of Persian at the famous
Deccan College, Poona. Here, too, he could not stay for long. The death
of his illustrious teacher, Shibli Nomani, two years later, obliged him
to return ot Azamgarh and take up the unfinished literary work of his master.

Syed Sulaiman Nadvi hereafter settled down at Azamgarh
to a peaceful life of research and study, which later won for him an immortal
place as a historian and scholar.

Sulaiman Nadvi,
whose life had been an un-interrupted devotion to scholarship and literary
pursuit, was called upon to devote his energies to the service of Islam
and his country. The first quarter of the present century was a period
of trials and tribulations for the Indian Muslims in particular. The political
scene was tense, surcharged with revolution. The Caliphate held by the
Turkish Sultan was at stake. The western powers were conspiring to do away
with this "Sickman of Europe". The wars in the Balkans and Tripoli and
ultimately World War I, were all pointing to this end. In India, too, the
Indian National Congress and especailly the All-India Khilafat Committee,
under the dynamic and inspiring leaderhship of Maulana Muhammad Ali, had
created a stir throughout the length and and breadth of the sub-continent
which led to an unprecedented awakening of the masses. Syed Sulaiman Nadvi,
too, could not resist responding to the national call. In 1920, he joined
a Khilafat Delegation, headed by Maulana Muhammad Ali, to London, for securing
equitable and just treatment to Turkey at the hands of the victorious Allies.

In 1924, when
the Sharif of Makkah and King Ibni Saud of Najd were at war, Sultan Saud
sought the help of the Khilafat Committee to settle the dispute. A delegation,
headed by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, which included Maulana Muhammad Ali and
Shoaib Qureshi went to Hejaz in 1926 and fearlessly placed the views of
the Indian Muslims before Sultan Ibni Saud for establishing a truly democratic
rule in the holy land. In 1926, Syed Sulaiman presided over the memorable
annual session of Jamiat-ul-Ulema at Calcutta, which considered the deteriorating
Hindu-Muslim relations in the sub-continent due to the Shuddhi-Sanghattan
Movement started by the Shardhanand - Malaviya group. The same year, the
Maulana at the invitation of King Ibni Saud headed a delegation of celebrated
Muslim leaders including Maulana Muahmad Ali and Shaukat Ali to Makkah
to participate in the Motamar-i-Alam-i-Islami. Delegations of almost all
Muslim countries had participated in the conference and Syed Sulaiman Nadvi
had been elected the vice-president of the conference (Motamar). On his
return, from Makkah, he retired from active politics and decided to devote his
heart and soul to literary pursuits only.

Syed Sulaiman
Nadvi had started his career as the sub-editor of "An-Nadva", a well-known
magazine devoted to religious research. In 1912, he joined as an Assistant
Editor and leader writer of the celebrated "Al Hilal" of Maulana Abul Kalaam
Azad. He wrote some of its best editorials, inlcuding one on Cawnpur Mosque
incident which electrified the Indian Muslims. But his association with
"Al Hilal" lasted two years only. In 1914, when the Shibli Academy was
established and its official organ, the "Ma`aarif" started publication,
he became its founder editor. This magazine, during the last 44 years of
its existence in Urdu maintained an enviable record of high class articles.
It introduced in Urdu journalism short notes and second leaders on important
men and matters, called Shazraat.

The greatest
achievement of Syed Sulaiman Nadvi was the establishment of Dar-ul-Musannifeen
(House of Writers) also known as the Shibli Academy at Azamgarh which became
the pioneer in the field of literary and historical research in the subcontinuent.
He attracted around him a large number of talented scholars who carried
on the literary mission of his illustrious teacher, Shibli Nomani, with
unabated zeal. This institution of learning founded in 1914 continues to
spread its lustre throughout the sub-continent and during the last 48 years
of its existence has published some outstanding works on diverse branches
of knowledge. Maulana Sulaiman Nadvi dedicated his life to the service
of learning and kept his uninterrupted association with the Shibli Academy,
Azamgarh. During this period, he spent an austere life at Azamgarh, busy in
writing books which inspired an entire generation.

Syed Sulaiman
Nadvi was a prolific writer who wrote books on history, biography, literature
and travelogue. His greatest work is the "Seerat-un-Nabi" (Life of the
Prophet of Islam) in six volumes which has hardly any parallel in any language
of the world. This outstanding work on the life of the Holy Prophet of
Islam was started by Shibli Nomani, but the major part of it was completed
by his pupil, Syed Sulaiman. This has since been translated into several
languages and is the most widely read book on the life and teachings of
the great Prophet of Islam. He has made Seerat a new and separate subject in
Islamic studies.

His first
book was "Durus-ul-Adab", an Arabic reader in two parts. In 1912, he compiled
a dictionary of new Arabic words. In 1915, he brought out the first volume
and in 1918 the second volume of "Ardh-ul-Quran" (Sites in the Quran) which
is a priceless piece of historical research. This is the only book of its
kind in Urdu which has made great impression of his scholarship on the
orientalists.

In 1910, he
wrote another very important biographical work, "Sirat-i-Ayesha" which
is the most authentic book on the life of Hadhrat Ayesha (rta), wife of the
Prophet of Islam.

His other
widely read book is "Arbon Ki Jahazrani" (Arab Navigation) dealing with the
great voyages undertaken by the Arab navigators during the mediaeval times who,
with the help of the Mariners' Compass, which they invented, roamed about in
open seas reaching as far as the Bering Strait, East and West Indies and even
touched the New world.

The "Khayyam",
which appeared in 1933 deals with the life and work of Umar Khayyam. It
is yet another popular work of his. Dissipating a popular misconception
about Khayyam being a dreamer, steeped in wine, he brought out Khayyam's great
contribution to mathematics, astronomy and science.

His "Khutbaat-i-Madras"
is a collection of his lectures at the invitation of the Muslim Educational
Conference at Madras on the life of the Holy Prophet of Islam. This has been
translated into English and has since been published into several editions.

In 1939, he
published a collection of his essays on diverse subjects, known as "Naqoosh-i-Sulaiman".
These essays known for the sublimity of thought and lucidity of diction are a
living testimony to his scholarship and mastery over the language.

His yet another
monumental work "Hayat-i-Shibli" was published in 1943. It deals not only
with the life and works of his teacher, Allama Shibli Nomani, but, in fact, is a
detailed history of literary and educational activities of Muslim India during
the last 100 years.

Syed Sulaiman
Nadvi had developed a style which was sober and lucid but at the same time
convincing and impressive. It was essentially suitable for his historical
writings. He is scholarly and objective in his treatment of history which
appeals more to the mind than to the heart.

The brutal
persecution of the Muslims in India by the Hindu majority community compelled
him to migrate to Pakistan in 1950. The pleadings of the prime minister
of India not to leave India could not dissuade him from going to Pakistan
where he was immensely needed for guiding the framing of a truly Islamic
constitution. On arrival in Karachi, he was made President of the Islamic Taalimat Board, attached to the Constituent Assembly. He had come to Pakistan
with an ambitious plan in his mind of establishing an Academy of Islamic
Studies in Karachi which could rival the Shibli Academy of Azamgarh (U.P.).
But he was not destined to live here long and died three years after, in
1953. His death was mourned throughout the world of Islam and the loss
of this great scholar, historian and religious writer was universally
acknowledged. His death created a great void in the literary life of the
sub-continent.

Syed Sulaiman
Nadvi was a great scholar, historian, religious writer but above all he was a
great man. Like all true scholars, he was the embodiment of humility and
simplicity. He was unostentatious and never took pride in his greatness.

The services
of Syed Sulaiman Nadvi were recognized and his greatness as a great scholar
was acknowledged during his lifetime. The Muslim University, Aligarh, conferred
on him the degree of D. Litt. in 1941. A number of universities and institutions,
including the Aligarh Muslim University, the Hindustani Academy of Allahabad,
the Jamia Millia, Delhi, the Nadvat-ul-Ulema, Lucknow, and the Hindustani
Committee of the Government of Bihar, had associated him with their work.